This Time Around
by AliyahNCIS
Summary: Will Tony and Ziva finally have a chance somewhere that isn't DC?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I know, this isn't an update on MIT. I do apologize for that, I'm a bit stalled right now and free time to get back on track hasn't materialized yet. I'll get back to it as soon as I can, promise. Until then, however, I present a couple little stories (the second one should be up sometime this week and it will be my first for NCIS: LA) that have been niggling at the back of my mind for months so I finally decided it was time to get them out. I'm a little uncertain about them because they're different than what I've written before, but I hope you guys will indulge me with a bit of AU musings and let me know what you think. As always it's so nice to have your support, thank you to all those patiently waiting for me to post a new chapter of MIT. I appreciate it. ~ Love, Aliyah_

It was a bright sunny day in LA when Tony DiNozzo walked into OSP with Agent Callen and rounded the corner, laying eyes on a woman who had been in his thoughts every day of the last ten months. Ziva sat on Kensi's desk wearing a tangerine coloured tank top and tan capris, caught up in laughter over whatever the two women were discussing. As soon as she saw him it felt like the air had all been sucked from the room and sudden silence rang loudly through the space. "Tony."

He blinked at her like he was seeing an apparition. "You-you cut your hair."

At that moment Operations Manager Hetty Lange appeared in the doorway. "Mr. Callen, I believe it is your team's turn to requalify in the shooting range."

Callen's gaze swung between them and he nodded. "Yeah, okay. Let's go."

The others slowly filed out but Tony and Ziva barely even took notice. "I wanted to try something different," she answered carefully, fingering the short waves.

Tony straightened, holding himself stiffly away from her. "And LA, is that part of the something different?"

Ziva shook her head. "No. Hetty tracked me down to ask for a favour. I met her more than a decade ago when I was working in Europe. It is hard to say no to her." She fiddled with her purse strap. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "Case. Suspect murdered a Navy Lieutenant in DC and disappeared. The guy showed up in LA yesterday. I'm just here to coordinate."

"I see." Neither seemed to know what to say.

Tony crossed his arms. "So, uh...you going back to Israel when you're done with this favour?"

Ziva glanced pointedly away from him. "No. I...tried it for awhile, but I am a stranger there. So I spent some time in France with Monique, volunteered in Africa, and traveled with Shmeil. Now I am ready to come home."

His ears perked up hopefully. "DC?"

This time she looked sad. "That is impossible."

"Why?"

"The first thing on my new list."

He remembered. "What are you going to do?"

Ziva smiled slightly. "I think I will see how I like California. I might even learn to surf."

Tony's expression darkened briefly before going carefully neutral and he shoved his hands in his pockets. "I don't want to talk about this here. Can I take you out to dinner somewhere when everything is wrapped up?"

She nodded. "I would like that." Hopping off the desk, she moved past him. "If you'll excuse me."

"Ziva." His soft voice stopped her.

"Yes?"

"Nothing." The familiar half-grin was firmly in place. "I just missed saying your name."

He was gone before Ziva could find something to say and she realized that things between them might never be the same.


	2. Chapter 2

The case took almost a week to close and Ziva stuck around OSP, though her part in a different investigation had finished days ago. Looking forward to their dinner, Tony was on his way out the door after saying goodbye to the team when Hetty materialized in front of him. "May I have a word before you go?"

He felt like he was seeing a female version of Gibbs, though she might actually inspire more fear than his boss. "Sure."

Hetty led the way to her office and sat down at the large desk, indicating for him to do the same. Folding her hands, she leaned forward. "I have a proposition for you Mr. DiNozzo."

Tony winced. "Tony, please Ms. Lange. Mr. DiNozzo is my father."

Ever the stickler for what was proper, Hetty pursed her lips. "Anthony?" she offered.

"I can live with Anthony."

"Very well." Hetty surveyed him carefully. "Are you happy in your position with NCIS in DC?"

He swallowed, lacing his fingers together. "I haven't been happy in a long time Ms. Lange."

She frowned. "I prefer Hetty."

"Hetty."

"Then perhaps you'll be willing to consider a change."

Tony rubbed his chin. "I guess that depends on what kind of change."

"Inside of two years," Hetty began, "I plan to announce my retirement." She gestured to the bullpen. "My team is on its way to being settled finally. I expect there will be three sets of wedding bells before my time is up and by then I'll be ready to leave them in another's hands. Anthony," she leveled a serious gaze at him, "I believe your skills have been overlooked for too long. I think you'd make an excellent Operation's Manager."

His job dropped. "Your job? That's-no way. I couldn't...I mean, I don't think-" He shook his head. "Shouldn't that go to Callen, or Sam?"

"Mr. Callen is happy where he is. He wouldn't do well with the politics this position requires. And Mr. Hanna is a man of action. He is more likely to strangle the bureaucrats than reason with them."

Tony didn't know what to think. "This is a lot to take in."

"If you agree," Hetty continued, laying out her argument, "I want you to spend six months shadowing my team and learning how we operate. I would personally train you for eighteen months after that before moving into the role of consultant - still here if you need me but out of the driver's seat."

He dragged a hand down his face. "I don't know what to say." Except that he felt woefully inadequate after the year he'd had.

"I expected as much," the small woman replied. "That's why I'm giving you ten days to think about it. And while you're here we'll provide you with temporary accommodations that will become permanent should you accept."

Tony's mouth fell open. "You want me to stay here, in LA?" He'd spent the duration of his visit sleeping in the room above the boatshed and hadn't planned to linger for any extra time in sunny California.

"Yes."

"Not to sound ungrateful for the hospitality Hetty, but I'm expected back at work."

She waved her hand dismissively. "That's all been taken care of. You have an impressive amount of leave time accrued Anthony, take the time to enjoy it." Hetty straightened some papers. "Director Vance sends his regards."

His eyebrows rose. "The director knows about this?"

"Not only that, but it also has his personal stamp of approval. Leon believes your contributions to the DC office have been disregarded for too long." Her eyes twinkled. "He said, and I quote, 'Agent DiNozzo would be an incredible asset to the Office of Special Projects. I'd like to see him make the most of this opportunity.'"

"Wow." Tony swallowed and rubbed his hands together. "I did not see this coming."

Hetty opened a drawer and handed him a key with the address written on the tag. "Take whatever time you need Anthony. The offer is worthy of your full consideration."

He stood and nodded seriously. "You can be sure I'll think of little else. Thank you Hetty. Even for considering me. It...means a lot."

She shook his hand. "It's been my pleasure."

 **NCIS**

His head was spinning by the time he left the building and he tried to shake off the confusion in time to meet Ziva at a casual dining restaurant on the waterfront where he asked for an outdoor table so they could hear the sound of surf crashing on the beach. He wore a fitted charcoal grey v-neck t-shirt and khaki shorts. Her eyebrows rose as she studied him. "You look very good Tony." His physique reminded her more of the man she'd teased about phone sex than the softer version he'd become over their eight years as partners.

"Thanks." He smoothed the material. "Took a lot of hard work, but I'm getting there."

The waitress arrived to take their drink orders and, checking with Ziva, Tony asked for two of the specials as well. Silence fell between them as they waited for the food to arrive and their gazes flitted back and forth from the water to each other, but neither could work out just what to say. When their food arrived Ziva hoped things would get better, however, despite or maybe because of the history between them conversation over dinner was stilted and a bit awkward.

Particularly noticeable was the way Tony kept stopping himself from touching her - a hand at her lower back as they walked to their table that was dropped as soon as he registered the gesture, their fingers brushing when he took her menu and the way he froze for just a moment, his hand making as if to settle over hers but quickly snatched away before their skin could meet. It was unsettling when she used to have to make him keep his hands to himself. And yet she could tell the lack of contact didn't stem from not wanting to, so what was holding him back? The change was disappointing to Ziva, leaving her with the niggling fear that perhaps she'd burned their bridge too many times and now it could no longer be rebuilt.

At last Tony pushed back from the table a little and blew out a breath. "Hetty offered me a job."

Her eyebrows rose. "Really?"

"Yeah. She uh...wants me to take over as Operations Manager in a couple years." His chuckle was void of humour. "Go figure."

Ziva's brow furrowed. "You would...leave DC?"

He couldn't meet her gaze. "NCIS changed when you left Ziva, I changed. I don't think there's anything left for me there."

"How can you say that? The team, your home?" She seemed genuinely upset on his behalf.

"The team isn't the same. The spark, the glue that held us together, the part that made us family left with..." Tony trailed off to avoid sounding like he blamed her. "And the only time my apartment ever felt like home were the days I wasn't the only one there." He slowly drew her necklace from his pocket. "For almost a year this is all I've had to hold onto."

Ziva reached out to trace the same gold star reverently. She looked directly at him. "Why don't we go for a walk?"

He nodded and took out money to pay the bill. She reached for her own wallet but he shot a sharp glance her way and shook his head once. Not another word was spoken until they reached the water, where both paused to remove their sandals, holding the footwear loosely in their inside hands, presumably so he wouldn't be tempted to take liberties when he had no idea where they stood right now.

The couple strolled quietly along the hard packed sand, waves rolling in and washing over their bare feet. Since he made the first move by inviting her out, Ziva gathered her courage and made the second one. "What else has changed?"

Tony stopped and gazed out at the sinking sun. "I guess I finally realized how little I was valued." Her brow furrowed and though he wasn't facing her he anticipated the expression. "Maybe you didn't see it Zi," and for the first moment she felt relief, his use of her nickname had to mean they weren't completely broken, "or maybe it didn't matter to me as much when I had you to watch my back, when I knew I meant something in your life even if I didn't hear it out loud all that much. I was the team joke. Gibbs, McGee, Abby - they never took me seriously. I worked my butt off for him for over ten years and I can count on one hand the number of times I felt like he actually appreciated it."

One shoulder shrugged as he continued his staring contest with the horizon. "I could handle it, before, but when they all wanted me to just forget about you, when your name was never mentioned like you never existed, that's when I really noticed the lack of respect for my authority as senior field agent and for me as a person." He heaved a sigh. "I'm just tired of it. I don't want to feel like that anymore."

Tony finally turned and their eyes met and suddenly Ziva realized why he'd been avoiding the contact. The way he looked at her, open and aching, filled with desperation and longing before he shuttered it away tore at Ziva's heart and she tilted her head, scared to ask the question but terrified of what they would lose if she didn't ask. "What do you want?"

His gaze dropped. "I'm afraid if I tell you you'll just blow me off again."

For the first time Ziva dared to reach out and touch his hand. "Maybe I want the same thing."

He shook his head. "I can't risk my heart again on maybe Ziva." Tony rubbed the back of his neck, an always present tell in uncomfortable situations, and sighed heavily. "You already know the answer anyways. I'm just not brave enough to repeat it."

Echoes of the hot dusty orchard conversation that preceded goodbye haunted her memory and she was lost for words that might make up for the offer she didn't take.

Suddenly Tony straightened, the warmth and closeness of shared history between them dissipating like fog. "Want to meet here, go for a run and a swim with me tomorrow? I've been coming every morning since I got here. It's peaceful along the water in the morning."

Caught off guard by the change Ziva nodded slowly. "Yes, I would like that."

"Good," Tony affirmed, the word seeming to carry extra weight. He smiled slightly. "Can I give you a ride back?"

The Tony she remembered usually stalled as long as possible to keep from losing her company, this man was different and Ziva grieved the loss of all she'd hoped for should their paths ever cross again. She forced a brave smile that hid her tears. "No, thank you. I can find my way."

"Okay." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "See you tomorrow." Although outwardly he was calm and detached, Tony figured Ziva would never know how hard it was to turn and walk away once more when everything in him cried out to stay.

 **NCIS**

Late the same night at OSP Callen happened upon Hetty sipping from a cup of tea, gaze fixed on the security camera feed in front of her. On it Tony paced back and forth in his borrowed quarters, wearing the appearance of a man in turmoil. Callen leaned one hip against her desk and crossed his arms. "What are you up to Hetty?"

She glanced over in surprise. "Whatever do you mean Mr. Callen?"

He lifted an eyebrow. "I saw the looks that passed between him and Ziva and I remember Gibbs saying something about the two of them a long time ago. Did you bring her here just so they'd run into each other?"

Hetty affected an expression of innocence. "I contacted Ms. David long before the suspect from DC found his way into our jurisdiction.."

Callen stared at her. "Did you request that Gibbs send Tony as the liaison?" There was no answer, merely the same unreadable expression she gave anyone when she didn't like the question. "Hetty," he said in that knowing tone, "come on. What's this about?"

She shrugged. "Anthony and Ziva had unfinished business that is none of your concern. At least now they have the opportunity for closure."

He studied his boss's body language closely, not that she would give anything away if it wasn't done on purpose. "They were partners in DC. You thinking about adding a couple members to the team?"

Unexpectedly, Callen found that he didn't mind the idea. He'd learned to play a little nicer with others over the past few years. Plus, he enjoyed working with both Tony and Ziva separately and they'd obviously been good together once or they wouldn't've have stayed on Gibbs' team. It would be a challenge to squeeze a couple more desks into the bullpen without crowding anyone but he was sure they could make it work.

"Should I be making any personnel changes, you'll be one of the first to know."

"Yeah," he muttered skeptically. "I'm sure I will be."

Hetty smiled slightly. "It's late Mr. Callen. Isn't the lovely Joelle expecting your company this evening?"

Callen glanced at the ornate clock hanging behind her, probably handcrafted by a Swiss artisan. She was right. And his girlfriend was likely the only thing that could make him shelve the topic for now. "Well played," he murmured, turning away.

Hetty settled deeper in her chair and sampled more of the aromatic brew. "Goodnight to you as well Mr. Callen."


	3. Chapter 3

Tony was sitting on the sand when she arrived the next morning, elbows resting on his raised knees, and from all appearances he'd been there for quite some time. A glance at her watch showed a few minutes before six and her brow furrowed. "Tony, is something wrong?"

He stared at her like a vision out of a dream, then slowly got to his feet. Before she could even register the movement Tony cupped her face in his large hands and captured her lips for a long, slow, deep kiss. The depth of passion and ...dare she say it? love, he conveyed brought her to tears and apparently him too, whether because of the way she responded or for finally being able to touch her like that again she couldn't tell.

Gentle fingers traced the damp trails on his cheeks when he pulled away and Tony sniffed, embarrassed. "I forgot how soft your hair is."

Ziva smiled slightly. "I have missed how your eyes change colour from green to grey." _Along with just about everything else about the man I spent eight years falling in love with._ She swallowed and let her hands drift down his chest. "Why now Tony?"

He closed his eyes and let go, leaving her feeling bereft of the comfort his arms provided. "I barely slept last night, just paced that little room and went back over every second we've spent together since I got here." Agitated, he scraped his hands through his longer, messy hair. "If I took that job today, half the reason would be because you're here. But if you're not sure...if you're not going to stay... I just, I need to know why I'm making that decision. But please don't...kiss me like you just did and tell me you could still walk out of my life again without a trace." His voice broke. "You have no idea how long my heart bled after the last time. I can't watch it happen twice."

Ziva's own tears welled up and spilled over and she risked wrapping a hand around his forearm. "I promise Tony, I will take much better care of your heart this time, if that is what you still want."

His stare drilled straight into her soul. "What do you want Ziva?"

The question made her tremble and she turned slightly to face the water. Answering should've been easy, for the last year the question had consumed her. Instead of replying directly she twisted her fingers together. "I wish I had let you fight for us then."

Her vulnerability restored his confidence and Tony took steady steps through the sand, enclosing her in an embrace that pulled her back against his chest, the motion simple as if they'd done it a thousand times. "That's what I'm doing now," he murmured into her ear.

"Ten months is so long," she whispered desolately. "Can we even be repaired?" Her body shuddered. "Why didn't I come home with you when I had the chance?"

He guided her to face him, lifting her chin so their eyes met. "Maybe home wasn't right for us Ziva, maybe it never was and that's why we never worked there. But home can be anywhere," he wiped away one of her tears, "if you're with the one you love." Tony took her hand. "Do you? Love me?"

She stared at him with wide eyes, reading in his gaze nearly a decade of wanting to hear that truth, and slowly nodded. "Yes. And I should have done a better job telling you...before."

The corners of his mouth quirked up in that half-grin she loved. "Like you could've made me leave if you actually said those words." A deep breath fortified him for the reply. "I love you Ziva David. I've been wanting to tell you that since the last time you were on top of me."

An exploding BBQ, her panicked exclamation of his name, and the resulting tackle to the ground flashed through Ziva's memory and she chuckled. "You did not seem to mind."

Tony's arms slid around her waist. "Explosions aside, I'd love to make it a habit - being that close to you." He swallowed. "Well?"

Her gaze flickered to his lips but some other things had to come first. "I'll stay, if you ask me to. I know that I would not regret making you my home."

She's never spoken so freely about her feelings before and it made him grin maniacally. "I want you to stay Ziva. I want you here with me."

This time she brought their mouths together, her breath hot on his skin. "And so I shall be."

The kiss was poignant and sweet but after pulling back his joy faded. "What do I do about Hetty's offer?" he asked quietly. "Do you think I should take the job?"

Her brow furrowed. "I cannot tell you the answer Tony, it is for you alone to decide. But I will be your partner again, by your side wherever you go. That is my promise."

He brought their still joined hands to his lips. "Thanks," he managed hoarsely. "I need to think."

"Let's take a walk," Ziva offered. "You can think all you want.

Tony looked for all the world like he wanted to kiss her again, swallow her in a tight embrace and not let go until the painful emptiness from her absence was finally filled but instead he released her, shoving his hands in his pockets and starting across the cool sand. Thankfully California was a costal state because Tony walked like Forrest Gump ran - once he started he couldn't seem to stop. After an hour of silently matching paces side by side Ziva pushed over her hesitance at being rejected and slipped her hand into his. Tony's steps faltered briefly and he glanced her way but she didn't say a word and though they covered miles and hours that long day, from that moment on she never let go. Which told him more about her commitment to whatever they were going to be than Ziva could've expressed with a thousand words.

 **NCIS**

Their missed run/swim happened a couple of days following Tony's marathon thinking session, after which they'd tiredly parted ways with nothing more than the gentle kiss he'd pressed to her forehead, and became something of a habit as the week progressed. It seemed to Ziva, as she kept pace beside him on the beach and had to call on extra stamina just to tie him in their water race to the pier, that every day Tony pushed himself faster and farther in an effort to either work through or completely forget about all the stuff in his head and the decision that was looming over him as the deadline grew closer.

One night when she was cooking him dinner at her half-settled apartment - she hadn't yet figured out how to decorate the place the might be home now for a very long time - Tony came up beside her and flipped off the burner, moving the pan out of harm's way. "Tony," she protested, trying to counter his movements, but his finger came to rest on her lips and he turned her to face him.

"Just let me get this out Ziva, please." Struck by the serious tone she became very still and waited. He took her hands and swallowed. "I'm going to tell Hetty 'yes' tomorrow. I'm gonna...I'm gonna take the job." Slowly he released a breath, blinking against the emotion. "And I don't know yet if it's the stupidest move I've ever made or the smartest choice since passing on Rota. Time will tell, I guess."

One of her hands rose to rest on his chest where his heart raced under her touch. "You chose what is best for you, that is what you should have done long ago."

From his pocket again came the little gold chain she'd once labeled 'old friend'. "Can I put this back on you?" Her eyes must've given the answer when her tongue felt incapable of forming words because he reached behind her neck and clasped the ends together by touch. She shivered as his fingers grazed her skin and remembered what he said about the necklace being all he'd had to hold onto for the last year, hoping that now he'd finally be able to hold onto her instead.

Tony's warm palm cradled her cheek and he inched a bit closer, lowering his voice. "I want this Ziva, I want us so badly. Did you mean it?"

Hurt flashed through her rich brown eyes. "I have already given you my promise."

"I know. But this is the real deal, in this together all the way, it's your last chance at freedom is you aren't one hundred percent positive."

Ziva pulled his face down and lightly touched her lips to his. "I do not want that kind of freedom anymore. I just want you."

He resisted making an _Anne of Green Gables_ reference and grinned. "Good. That's really...good." His mouth found hers and she remembered again the way he claimed her on the tarmac, releasing a shuddering breath when he finally pulled back. Tony kept her close, his gaze drifting over her face as if to memorize it, though memories alone would no longer be necessary when they were at last in the same place on so many different levels. "But slow, okay? Really, really slow. You and me, we have this chance to do a relationship right for once and I want to do it right. Will you let me lead for the physical stuff?" He quirked a half-grin, feathering his fingers through her bobbed hair. "You're irresistible Ziva, so if you went a step further I'd be helpless to stop it and I don't want there to be any regrets for us."

It was impossible to express how much she appreciated his mindset and she nodded. "Partners survive by following each other's lead, that I can do."

"Thanks." At that point the Tony who was never without something to say seemed lost for words and took a step back, his gaze all over the place as he sought to regain his focus. "Uh...I'm just going to go...set the table or something." He escaped the kitchen and she chuckled. Not that she could ever tell him because his ego needed no stoking, but she found his awkwardness completely adorable. Then again, with the year they'd had perhaps the best gift she could give him was to finally say to his face all the compliments that had always before remained hidden in her own mind where they didn't leave her vulnerable. He gave her everything in the orchard, it was her turn to return the favour.

 **NCIS**

Tony waited nine days before accepting the offer, though he'd already begun preparing to move his life from DC to LA. Ziva became his personal assistant as he arranged for a moving service to pack up his apartment and ship everything across the country. She'd had way more experience changing locations, while he was very out of practice, and efficiently worked through a list of details he never would've thought of after thirteen years in the same city, proving again why they made such a good team. It was an aspect he looked forward to developing with her personally, now that they no longer shared a workplace.

During the time it took for the decision to be made and before the conversation in her kitchen he and Ziva had reconnected - playing in the sun and surf and laughing with a pure happiness that their jobs in DC had always prevented. They spent most of their days in close company, though Tony was careful to restrict touching to simple hand holding and limited kissing to goodnight only. Shortly thereafter Ziva added good morning ones as well, with no complaint from her former partner. And as much as they wanted to make up for the months apart and the years of flirting with but never crossing that elusive line in the proverbial and now very real sand, they also took breaks to be alone as they continued putting down tentative roots in their new places and adjusting to a life that finally included one another again.

On day ten, after a long talk via MTAC with his agent, Vance strode into the MCRT office space. "As of this morning Agent DiNozzo has officially transferred to NCIS in LA. McGee, you will be Agent Gibbs' new Senior Field Agent. I'll be forwarding you files on acceptable candidates to fill the empty spot." He paused a moment for reactions but got nothing more than Tim's open mouthed stare and Gibbs' flashing glare. "Very well." Turning on his heel he headed back upstairs, not at all caught off guard when his office door slammed open a moment later.

"What the heck was that?" Gibbs growled. "You're messing with my people Leon. I thought we had a deal."

Vance straightened and jutted his chin out. "First of all Agent Gibbs, this is not my doing. And second, if you really want to know why DiNozzo chose to leave you better take a good long look in the mirror."

Gibbs crossed his arms. "Your point, Director?"

Leon raised an eyebrow. "You don't see it? Ever since Agent David resigned he's been treated differently, almost as if you're punishing him for loyalty to his partner. You refuse to say her name and there's been no acknowledgment of how deeply the loss is affecting him. I'm not one to get involved in the personal lives of my agents, but you're holding yourself so far apart from Tony that you didn't notice the toll your indifference has taken."

He waited for his words to sink in. "DiNozzo is a great agent, one of the best, and he's been your right arm for almost a decade and a half - including willingly putting up with a lot of unsavoury behaviour from you and your other team members. The way he's handled that alone should be deserving of your respect if nothing else, but you've shown time and time again that you don't appreciate everything he's contributed to the MCRT. Tony will be valued and appreciated in his new position, something he never got here, and for that I'm glad. It's high time he stepped out of your shadow and got his own life. Now if you'll excuse me Agent Gibbs, I've got work to do."

With that he was dismissed and though Gibbs' blood boiled at the blunt insinuations some of Vance's uncomfortable truths got through and he realized for the first time, despite priding himself on knowing everything about his team, how much he'd actually missed. All he knew right now was that the place was going to be a whole lot quieter and dimmer without the man he'd come to rely on more than he ever thought possible. Gibbs let out a breath, staring at the world outside their building, and allowed himself a small smile. "Good for you DiNozzo," he whispered. Then he pushed the sentiment away and got back to work.


	4. Chapter 4

Once he accepted Hetty's offer there was no going back. Monday began the start of his six month team shadowing, as per the current Operation's Manager's terms. Because he didn't have a partner he often played the third wheel to Sam and Callen, listening a whole lot more than he talked and trying very hard not to let his amusement at their interactions show. But when he really wanted a show he grabbed a ride in the back of Kensi and Deeks' vehicle. Even though their relationship had an undeclared status they bickered and bantered both like an old married couple and a young couple utterly infatuated with each other. It made his heart ache a little to listen to them because he was reminded of another set of partners who used to sound very similar. And while he and Ziva were so much more than partners now, the ways they had matured while apart changed some of their dynamics and there were times he missed the old them.

The days he chose not to go into the field were spent in Ops with Eric and Nell learning the computer system, picking up on some tips and tricks, and sharpening his observation skills by closely watching the technical operator and intelligence analyst. It hadn't been obvious right away when he was working that initial NCIS DC case with them, but he realized now he should've picked up on the signs that there was more than just a partnership keeping them together. He wasn't quite ready to lay odds about them already being something official, but it would be worth paying close attention to for the next little while.

Ziva, now completely moved, her possessions having arrived from undisclosed locations in the weeks following their decision, became a fixture at OSP. She had nothing else to keep her busy, Hetty enjoyed her company, and Tony felt over the moon special knowing she hung around mostly just to be near him. After a very short period of time she was granted the completely unnecessary role of consultant, which kept her security clearance intact and allowed her to assist on cases when her expertise was needed. Most other times, when she wasn't at home reading and relaxing and taking advantage of the newfound freedom to enjoy life, she could be found drinking tea with Hetty, throwing knives at the shooting range with Kensi, chatting about undercover missions with Callen, listening to stories about Sam's family, and learning to be more computer savvy from Eric and Nell upstairs. She put her fingerprints everywhere and gained the loyalty and love of all the team members.

As much as Tony loved watching them accept her because she was so important to his life, the integration of her into yet another NCIS office concerned him. A topic that came up one night while they were cuddled on the couch watching a movie. He rubbed his hand down her arm. "Not that I don't love having you around OSP, but doesn't being there conflict with your new rules?"

Ziva leaned her head back on his shoulder and looked up into his eyes. "I have wondered that myself. But I am not in the field nor am I an agent. I like the label consultant. I like being able to share my knowledge and skills without having to use them as weapons to hurt others. I like not being required to carry a gun. So no, I don't think so. And besides, I am not there all the time, so it is different in many ways."

He kissed her temple. "I preferred knowing you were always armed."

A coy smile crossed her lips. "Tony, don't be so naive as to assume that just because I do not carry a gun I am not always armed."

Though he desperately wanted to suggest that he search her for hidden weapons now that she'd put the idea in his head, it conflicted with the pace he was trying to set for them so he merely slouched down a little more and laced their fingers together. "Huh. Well, that sets my mind at ease." He only just whispered under his breath, "You'll have to show me someday where you keep them," but Ziva heard and looked forward to the day he voiced the request out loud.

 **NCIS**

And just like that half a year flew by. The months were marked by some significant changes, most notably Kensi and Deeks making their 'thing' an official relationship and Nell labeling Eric as her boyfriend when he went home with her for Christmas, though that particular ship seemed a bit stalled as the new year began. Callen and Joelle celebrated their one year dating anniversary the first week of February and Tony reached the end of his time shadowing a group of people he'd grown to respect and care for deeply. He imagined it was hard to spend any time at all around the group and not appreciate the way they operated and watched each other's backs.

"Well Anthony," Hetty greeted him on his first official day of training, "I understand your number one rule is that you never sit on the sidelines when your people are in trouble." He nodded slightly and she waved her hand to encompass the team members watching from behind their fancy scrolled ironwork screen. "These are my people and I hope after the time you've spent together that you consider them your people as well. I would do anything to protect them, to have their backs, to stand in the path of trouble coming their way. I expect you to do the same."

Tony glanced at the team, his team, and smiled before turning to their tiny but mighty warrior queen. "I will Hetty, you have my word."

"Good. Then we can begin."

He really had no idea what he was getting himself into as he prepared for the leadership roll that awaited him and after just one day he was completely overwhelmed by the responsibility of what he was undertaking. He confided as much to Ziva while they walked on what had become their beach, the place where declarations of love and first kisses had cemented their hearts together, and her complete and unfailing confidence in his abilities made him stand taller. He shook his head in a little bit of awe. "What would I do without you?"

She smile, leaning into his side. "Do not worry. You will never have to find out."

The moment was mostly unplanned but her words were his undoing and Tony stopped, pulling out his wallet and digging a small, simple piece of jewellery from the hidden pocket. "Ziva, I love you. I want you in my life always. I want to fall asleep with you and wake up with you, to hold your hand and kiss you whenever I feel like it, to show you with every day and every breath how much I cherish the gift you've given me of your love and trust. Will you marry me?"

When he asked her for slow at the end of the summer Ziva had been prepared for them to stay in a relative state of limbo for a year or more, figuring Tony would be less confident about any steps forward given their history. To receive a proposal of marriage in so short a time was something she hadn't even considered, but her answer was set the day he asked for there to be a them. Her eyes grew shiny in the time it took for the word to make it to her lips. "Yes," she said softly, joy infusing every word. She threw her arms around his neck and Tony smothered her in the passionate kisses he'd been thus far holding back. "Yes."

He grinned more brightly than she'd ever seen before and breathed what could only be a sigh of relief before placing the delicate diamond ring on her finger and capturing her lips for a very thorough expression of his love. Their wedding was arranged within the week thanks to some incredible favours the team could call in, and less than seven days after getting engaged and very close to Valentine's Day they became Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo. A honeymoon wasn't possible during the winter months while Tony's training with Hetty was fairly heavy and intense, but she promised them a couple weeks off in the summer to enjoy their newlywed status.

Possibly to make up for the delay but more probably just because she wanted to, Hetty helped them find a nice little house not too far from headquarters that they planned to gut and completely remodel using Ziva's inheritance. At first Tony balked because it was her money, the only thing her father left, but after using a very effective and distracting method to quiet his protests, Ziva reminded her husband about 'yours, mine, and ours' and said that if he didn't want to help her spend it the money would just sit useless in the bank because she wouldn't touch it without him. After that he conceded, having learned already that there was really no arguing with his wife when her mind was made up.

Just as she had with Callen Hetty negotiated a very good deal for the couple she also considered her people and Tony and Ziva went back and forth between their separate apartments which they'd decided to keep until the house was ready for them to move in, sleeping at his place or hers and switching it up whenever they wanted. It was an interesting way to live but it gave them an opportunity to brush up on their tradecraft, something Sam had been drumming into them both since they started at OSP.

A couple months after their wedding Eric and Nell made the leap to start dating officially, though they'd already been together unofficially for quite some time. Callen's undercover assignment of being in prison set his and Joelle's progress back a bit but having been alone so long he didn't mind waiting for her to be sure of something he already knew - that he was completely in love with her and had started seeing her as part of his future ten months into their time together, the day she gave him a second chance. Considering the pace of their partner and relationship thus far, Kensi and Deeks shocked them all by announcing their engagement at the beginning of summer only six months after 'all in' and a wedding date of September twenty-first, the date that would mark five years since their first case as partners. But few people were more well suited and knew each other better than them.

At Christmas, one year since Joelle had agreed to give the real Callen a chance over the securities trader she thought her boyfriend was, Callen got down on one knee at their second annual skating afternoon and made a commitment he'd been avoiding most of his adult life. Tony glanced around the group and thought they were all holding their breath until Joelle nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks, and accepted his ring. They were married in a small ceremony with Hetty officiating, Sam as best man and his daughter as flower girl two months later, two years from the day of that first dinner date they'd been set up on. Very soon after their festivities Eric gathered his courage and proposed to his rockstar in the Ops Center. She made him sweat just a little bit before removing his glasses so she could see his eyes and telling him she'd love to marry him. They planned for the end of the summer and it was happy endings all around for the OSP team.

 **NCIS**

Tony spent eighteen months learning Hetty's secrets and stories and connections, joking more than once about letting Ziva turn her life into a book that he would then make into a famous movie. But the threats she made, though not entirely intimidating considering what Ziva had vowed to do to him on occasion, had him recanting the statement every time. By the end of that mentoring phase Tony probably knew more about Hetty than Callen did and had learned where quite a few of the bodies were buried, should he ever need that particular leverage. He'd gotten practice bargaining with the politicians for what they needed, handling Granger to keep him out of their affairs as much as possible while still maintaining a cordial relationship with their assistant director, and taking charge of the team while Hetty stood in the background waiting to be needed.

She waited her retirement date until Eric and Nell returned from their honeymoon (with the Ops Center bereft of its Wonder Twins Hetty announced a spring cleaning week in which they suspended operations completely, had the mission cleaned from top to bottom, and kept the burn room and shredders burning and humming most hours of the day as they got rid of everything that wasn't entirely necessary) and then made the transition official by swearing Tony in as the new Operation's Manager two years after his first case at the Office of Special Projects, to much applause from the people he would now be in charge of.

Hetty fashioned herself a little partitioned off corner near what used to be her office where she could brew her tea in peace and be available as a consultant if Tony or any of the numerous other people and places to which her influence extended needed her for something. Some days and weeks she was barely at OSP at all, preferring to enjoy time on her boat, driving one of her gorgeous vehicles, or enjoying one of the historic homes she owned, though after the securities breach a couple years' back she'd been forced to make some changes that at the time seemed unwelcome but were now working out quite splendidly.

So, with new leadership OSP moved forward into the next half of a decade still determined to save the world and stop crime by taking down one bad guy at a time, and in Deeks' words 'look really good doing it'.


	5. Epilogue

After talking about the idea over the course of several serious conversations and evaluating their lives, Tony and Ziva decided not to start a family. It was a bittersweet conclusion to the time they'd put into the subject as both of them had, at one time or another, at least wondered what it would be like. Still, they were convinced it was the right thing to do and they never looked back.

But God had other plans because two years into their marriage a beautiful little four year old named Arianna and her precocious two year old baby brother Avery crossed their paths during a case in which both parents were killed. As soon as he heard there were kids involved Tony went to see for himself and get a face to face update from the team. He took one look at the tiny slip of a girl with long brown ringlets and pulled out his phone. Not too far away Ziva picked up, "Buongiorno amore."

Tony closed his eyes, groaning. "How many times have I told you not to answer the phone with your bedroom voice woman? How am I supposed to think about work now?"

She chuckled throatily, not helping at all. "Do you want to take away all my fun Tony?"

His gaze was drawn back to the TV screen where Kensi cradled Arianna on her lap while Deeks busied himself making Avery laugh. It was good practice for the couple, since the only female team member was currently four months pregnant with their first child and soon to be banned from all fieldwork at the insistence of everyone. All the levity faded from his voice as he focused back on the topic at hand.

"I need you to get down here now Zi. Boatshed." He could tell just from the silence that his wife was instantly on alert so he tried to soften the concern. "There's no reason to be armed honey, but this case took a turn and I could use you by my side, okay?"

"I will be there in five minutes."

"Don't spe-" Tony began, but she'd already hung up and he knew warnings about not breaking traffic laws would be useless to the dial tone.

True to her word Ziva breezed in the door a handful of minutes later, immediately scanning the room to see what the problem was. Her eyes landed on the children and her entire expression changed. Tony wrapped his hand around hers, wondering if she saw what he did. "Their parents are the victims in our case."

Leaning against a post on the other side of the table G sighed. "We don't think they saw anything, thank God, but we can't get ahold of social services right now and they may also be targets, so Kensi and Deeks volunteered to have them overnight at least." He grimaced at the mention of social services and his time in the system. He and Jo were open to having kids, he wanted to know what a real family was like and give his own children the stability he never had growing up, so far though it hadn't happened. Now G was beginning to wonder about adoption for kids like him and Arianna and Avery who suddenly had nowhere else to go.

Sam crossed his arms. "We all have family lives now. They'd be safe staying with any of us until the case is over."

Ziva opened her mouth and said what her husband was thinking. "We will take them."

The guys looked at her in surprise and Tony kissed her temple and whispered. "Took the words right out of my mouth babe."

From the first moment Tony and Ziva walked into that interrogation room and introduced themselves to Arianna and Avery, they were goners. The team watching it all unfold from outside the door could clearly see the writing on the wall when Arianna threw herself into Ziva's arms and Avery lifted his arms to Tony asking to be picked up. There was no going back after that.

Hetty's connections allowed them to be approved as foster parents quite rapidly and once it was determined that they had no family willing to be their caregivers, the adoptions process was begun. Just over a year after their first meeting, Arianna and Avery officially became DiNozzos. By that time they were already addressing Tony and Ziva as Daddy and Mommy, though the transition had come easier for Avery than Arianna, who retained more memories of their first parents while those time had all but faded from her little brother's mind.

The team and Hetty were declared aunts, uncles, and grandmother, while the sweet blonde and blue eyed addition to the Deeks' family - Andrew was a carbon copy of his father and much harder to say no to, much to his mother's chagrin - was something of a fascination to both children, being so much smaller than they were. By the time he became a big brother to baby Melissa, however, Andy was a favourite playmate as well. When Callen and Jo added to the number of OSP offspring by two - one adopted and one from a surprise pregnancy discovered during the finalization of the process - Tony turned one of the lesser used back rooms of the mission into a daycare and no childcare workers were more highly vetted than those given charge of the team's children. It was likely the most secure daycare in the whole state considering the building was overrun by federal agents, and it gave all the parents a chance to see their kids occasionally during the day and a really good reason to quit on time and go home to be families.

Eric and Nell suffered one miscarriage and found their hearts were never brave enough to try again, it was a devastating blow to a couple entirely unused to failure. But they loved one another deeply, worked together symbiotically, and brought their team home unscathed almost every time they went out on another mission. They were an important part of the OSP family and none of the kids would've tolerated a world without their beloved Uncle Eric who was never too grown up to sprawl on the floor and play video games or Auntie Nell who knew the technical answers to almost all their questions but answered them in such a way as to keep the magic of discovery alive.

As the years passed things changed, because nothing ever stays the same, but the group remained as tight knit as every. Tony found a belonging and contentment at OSP that had never really been present in DC, especially once he no longer had a partner. He thrived on the responsibility and the way they relied on him to lead and make the right decisions. He matured even more to meet the demands of his position and he and Ziva enjoyed a deep, passionate relationship all the days of their marriage - working together just as well as parents as they did when they were partners in the field. At the end of every day walking on the beach with their children they always stopped for one moment to watch the sun set and be incredibly grateful that they finally took their chance. It was the best decision they had ever made.

THE END


End file.
